


Expectations and Consequences

by SparksSeer



Series: Convergence [2]
Category: Divergent (Movies), Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Slow Build, dauntless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 08:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3888817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparksSeer/pseuds/SparksSeer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric is cruel and ruthless, a leader of Dauntless. He worked hard for his reputation during the past three years and this year's initiation was supposed to be boring and dull again, the excitement he had felt during his own initation had long gone.<br/>That was until she decided to leave her old faction behind and join the warrior faction. She was anything else but boring and predictable and he soon had to admit that he was drawn to the girl from Candor, who showed no fear or respect towards his person and was never shy to counter back.</p><p>[This OS shows various events of Convergent (chapters 1-9) from Eric's POV, but -I think- it can also be read independently. I would recommend reading Convergent before - but I'll leave it up to you.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Expectations and Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> Hello :)
> 
> I thought it would be really interesting to explore Eric point to view on some events and how he is feeling about Cas. I know that there are a few conversations mentioned in Convergent that Cas only overheard partly and some other things that have been on my mind basically since I started writing Convergent. I hope you enjoy this little snippet :)
> 
> This OS takes place in the universe of my story "Convergent". As a reminder - the war has not happened yet and it's the year after Tris' initiation. It will reference scenes from chapters 1-9 of Convergent. Do you have to read Convergent before reading this? I don't think so, but I'd recommend it. You can also read this to catch a glimpse of what Convergent is about and read it afterwards? I'll leave it up to you :)
> 
> For questions/feedback or anything else you can catch me at "teaboyofficeboy.tumblr.com"
> 
> Thank you to my beta Keelie xxx

Eric is standing in the doorway of his office. He just came back from his meeting with Max, Four and Lauren to finalize the rankings of stage one for this year’s initiation. The meeting was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, rather boring. Just what the whole initiation process was supposed to be like again. Boring, dull. Initiates are predictable, and even though he is holding his position for merely three years – the same amount of time that he is actually a member of dauntless – the excitement he felt during his own initiation was long gone. He could see the repeating patterns without any problems and it is easy for him to predict early on who would make the cut and who would end up factionless sooner or later. He even had the feeling about that guy, Al, from last year and when they found him dead on the bottom at the chasm he was once against proven right about his predictions.

This year is the same as the previous years, about the same amount of Dauntless dependents as transfers made it to the compound. They lost two initiate on their way to Dauntless, but that didn’t even need Eric’s predictions. Statistically speaking, it was bound to happen, leaving them once again only with Erudite and Candor transfers. At least, he didn’t have to deal with any more Abnegation this year. Two self-righteous Stiffs around him were far enough.

What wasn’t supposed to happen and what he definitely did not expect, was that he found interest in one of the initiates. According to her abilities and talents she is nothing out of the ordinary, she had been the last jumper and that alone should have lowered Eric’s opinion about her enough to not give her a second glance. He would have written her off, sure of the fact that she’d end up factionless, just like that Candor girl – he had forgotten her name – from last year. Now that he thinks about it, she was quite similar to _her_. Tall, dark hair, Candor, last jumper. But then again, not really. There is something different about _her_ – which is the reason that now, she is sitting in his office, in his chair with her legs on his desk. She’s sleeping. _Cas_. Subconsciously, he smiles softly. She is far more beautiful than that stupid girl from last year, too.

He doesn’t really have an explanation for this. With his Erudite upbringing he is more used to seeing facts and analysing them – not his own feelings. It’s not as if he was completely inexperienced with relationships, being a leader did have its perks, but usually it was always rather casual and honestly, more about getting off than love and all that crap. He once thought he saw that spark in Ace, and she thought likewise, but in the end they both realized they worked better as friends than anything more than that. They were only sixteen then after all.

Now, he is pretty sure he is seeing that spark in her, Cas, the girl that never shuts up and shows almost zero respect towards his position in leadership. It intrigues him, more than it should and soon he found that he not only saw the spark in this ordinary girl from another faction, but he felt that he is actually attracted to her. He didn’t know how to go on about this after the first days of initiation. She was not a people person, most of the time she kept to her own or later only to her few friends. He tried to talk to her just like he does to every other initiate. It didn’t work well and he was pulled to her more often than he liked to. He knows, that Four noticed it. He would give him weird looks when he saw how Eric corrected Cas’ stance when they were practicing with the guns.

And oh, how he regretted telling his friends about her. They knew him too well and when he first mentioned her by her name in front of them… He had lost. Especially Ace. She was a pain in the ass, when they found out about him giving one of the initiates private training sessions. Why the hell did he always end up with the annoying people? She knows how much he hated to talk about feelings and the like. It’s not like him to be sentimental or show that he cares about someone. He has an image to uphold – he’s a leader of Dauntless. He is ruthless and cruel. Carefully he had chosen his appearance throughout the years in this faction. People see him and look away, step out of his way and don’t even dare to criticize him.

Not _her_ though. She always looks him straight in the eyes with a confidence that most of the other initiates can’t even get close to. Oh, and what comes out of her mouth. Even half beaten to pulp and barely able to walk she’d not let him get away with his downgrading remarks about her fight. She wouldn’t take shit from him and _he likes it_. She’s scrapping on his reputation and made this year’s initiation interesting for him. She’s fierce and although she’s still very Candor, it suits her. He is sure, that she’ll make it through initiation – maybe not being ranked first, but good enough to not end up on the fence. Despite her aptitude for Candor (which he thought was curious), she showed the will to be Dauntless and ultimately became Dauntless.

Eric remembers the day she was late to their training session in the morning. It was the day after playing Capture the Flag. He picked her for his team – he couldn’t resist, but at least he wasn’t as stupid as Four the year before and picked that Stiff right away. He can only shake his head at that memory.

He knew she had the potential for being worthy of his team. She didn’t fuck around when it mattered and he was proven right about his decision. She was the only one who came up with a good and, how he liked it, an aggressive plan. She was the only one of the initiates who would climb on the building and in the end she was the one who got the flag for his team.

He remembers every moment of this night after this. How could he not? It was probably the night where he finally had to admit it to himself that he didn’t just find her interesting, but actually liked her. He remembers how she held the flag high above her head, how she screamed in excitement and with pride about the victory, _her victory_ , and how she laughed when she was pulled into hugs. Even Eric couldn’t resist a cry of joy in this moment and the grin didn’t leave him until Ace and Miles pulled him aside on the train. They stood at one end of the train car. He remembers Cas sitting on the floor with Chelsea’s sister and another Dauntless girl. Oh hell, he thought then. If she became friends with Sky-. He wasn’t able to finish that thought as Miles interrupted him.

“She’s a tough girl, Eric. I see why you like her.” His friend said casually, sending him a smirk.

“I don’t like her.” He hissed. “She’s just one of my initiates.”

“ _Your_ initiates?” Ace grinned at him.

“You know what I mean, Ace. Don’t put too much thought behind this.” He snapped at her.

“Eric, we know you better than anyone else. You do like her.” Miles continued.

Ace nodded. “And I am pretty sure, if you show her your nice side she will be all yours.”

“She is an _initiate_ , Ace! You know the rules as well as anybody else!” He replied almost furiously, keeping his voice down so she wouldn’t be able to overhear their conversation.

“For fucks sake, Eric, you’re a goddamn Dauntless leader! Hell, you can do what you want!”

“It’s not that simple, guys.” He replied, and only noticed his mistake when it was already too late.

“So, you _do_ like her.” Ace grins. “Just talk to her, Eric.”

While they were his friends, they didn’t really understand what he meant. It was much more complex than just talking to her. “It really is none of your business!” He said angrily.

“Never thought you’d be such a pansycake.”

“Just shut the fuck up, Miles. I don’t need any of your input on this matter.”

He saw how Miles and Ace exchanged a look. At that moment in the train, he knew they were right all along. He did like Cas, the initiate, who jumped last but still got the guts to snap back at him. He liked the girl with the long dark hair, the girl that was almost as tall as he was. She’d always stand straight with her head held high and he knew in that moment, that to him, she was anything but ordinary.

 

And now that he is standing in the doorway of his office, watching her sleep in his chair, he realizes once again, what an asshole he had been towards her the morning after Capture the Flag. He hadn’t slept at all that night – three hours weren’t worth going to bed for, he decided. He was tired in the morning and still angry from the remarks Miles, Ace and even Chelsea later made about him and Ace. No, they did not understand that he wasn’t someone who talks or even thinks much about his feelings. He does not like them. He does not want them. Caring for others makes you weak. He would not let that happen to him. In retro perspective though, that wasn’t the ideal plan to behave like he did then.

So when she showed up late for his training, he was already in such a bad mood that he shouted at her before he could even think about it, the word ‘pansycake’ still echoing in the back of his mind. He still remembers how the anger flickered in her eyes as she glared at him. He noticed the dark rings under her eyes and the tired look, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at that moment. Yet, when she blacked out later in the morning he felt the guilt rising in him. He should have known that she was exhausted, hell, she was in the infirmary just a few days earlier, and barely got any sleep. It was guilt that made him carry her to the infirmary himself, instead of letting some of the other initiates take her. Four shot him a curious look, frowning at him and his actions. He didn’t give a shit. Four should think what the hell he wants to think. With his Stiff girlfriend he shouldn’t be the one to judge him.

Oh, what speeches he had to listen to when his friends found out about it. It wasn’t fun, not at all. He doesn’t even want to think about those discussions anymore. Ace, Miles and Chelsea came to his office during lunch time … Long story short, he gave in to their pressuring. But due to him being who he was (and honestly, still is) and who he wanted to appear as, it didn’t go as he expected – leaving him with a nasty bruise on his face as a consequence. It seemed so logical at that moment. He apologized about his behaviour that night during dinner in private, complimented her on her new tattoo and kissed her. Only when she was gone he saw that he forgot the most important thing – her. He didn’t take into account that she wasn’t just any _ordinary_ girl. He should have known that she wouldn’t just accept his apology and kiss him back. He just wanted to laugh about his stupidity. Clearly, his Erudite traits were truly and finally fading. He deserved the bruise, if he was to be fair, and if he was honest, he was proud of her. It was the final prove to him that their private sessions at ungodly hours were successful. She managed to take him by surprise. Twice even. He’d be an idiot if he wouldn’t be impressed. No one ever managed it, and most definitely not without having to expect serious consequences.

Somehow, she apparently punched some sense in him. At least, that’s what Miles said when he admitted to them in defeat, that he’s an asshole and an idiot when it came to feelings. Again, he had phrased it otherwise, but Miles corrected him. He was right, Eric knew that. Being an asshole was part of why he became a Dauntless leader. He was ruthless and cruel, he knew that and he wouldn’t change that. That is who he is.

The result of talking with Miles was that he tried to honestly apologize to her the next morning, in hope that she’d even turn up for their training session. She did say she would, but that was before the kiss and the punch. He had considered not showing up himself for a very brief moment, but Miles reminded him that that would be cowardly from him. He certainly was no coward.

She landed another punch in his face that morning. She rejected him. She made that pretty clear. One would think you learn from mistakes, Eric had thought then. Not him apparently, not when it came to her. He was losing his mind over her and it was driving him insane. He didn’t properly talk to her for a week, although they did continue their private sessions before breakfast. He was the instructor and she was the initiate. He didn’t know what she was thinking about him then, but since they apparently came to that mutual agreement not to talk of personal matters or what had happened, he stayed silence.

He still kept an eye on her during the official training. She was doing better, she clearly improved. When she was fighting, he noticed how she adapted some of his fighting techniques, sometimes more successful than other times. She’s always ranked around the middle. She still loses fights, but they last longer now. She could be better, he knew that, but for now he was relieved that she wasn’t at the bottom. She wasn’t in danger of getting cut.

 

Four, that sneaky bastard, of course found out about their training. He cornered Eric in his office on night after training.

“What do you want, Four?” Eric asked annoyed by the disturbance. He was working.

“You know why I am here, Eric.”

“I don’t have time for your bullshit. I have important business to take care of.”

“That Candor girl gets an awfully lot of attention from you.” Four continued and watched him carefully.

“Look, if you don’t have an actual point to get across or any questions, don’t waste my time.” Eric snarled at him.

“What’s going on between you and her?”

“That’s none of your fucking business.”

“You know the rules, Eric.”

“And you’re one to talk, Four? Everyone knows that you and your little stiff girlfriend didn’t get together just after initiation.” He grunted.

Four glared at him. “That’s not relevant now. You keep your hands off Cas and leave her alone.”

“Grown protective of your initiates, _Tobias_?”

Four doesn’t react to Eric calling him by his real name. Instead he snaps an answer. “If need be, yes.”

“You can leave now.”

“I’ll have an eye on how you treat her.” Four said and turned to leave.

“Just remember who has the authority here. I am your leader.” And with that Four was gone and Eric could go back to his work. He had expected a confrontation like this sooner or later. He wasn’t blind, or stupid for that matter. He had noticed that Four watched him closely whenever he was around any of this year’s initiates. It was only a matter of time that Four – working in the control room – would find out about their private training. He hadn’t mentioned it, but it was clear that he knew about it. Otherwise it wouldn’t be logical for him to turn up at his office with only the little proof he mentioned.

During the next few days Eric mostly only showed up to the fights in the afternoon training, and without having proper conversations with Cas one day blended into another. It was kind of tense between them and they didn’t even snap at each other like they did before. That alone was rather unusual for Eric and he was sure that Four noticed as well, that he was more aggressive towards the other initiates – especially to those losing the fights. He hated the direction their relationship had developed but for once he actually agreed with his friends. It was logical that she’d need some time for herself.

 

It was the morning of the last day of training, when he found the note on his desk. “Be nice to her.” He knew the handwriting, it was Ace’s. The context was clear - visiting day was the next day. Visiting day usually wasn’t a big deal for the Dauntless-born initiates but it was an up-and-down with the transfers. Most of the time, their old faction and family saw them as traitors and did not visit them. He didn’t know if her family would visit, since he didn’t know her reasons for her choice. It was a good opportunity to start a normal conversation with her again, what might also show if she changed her mind about him. One could hope, he thought.

He had ordered her to come for one last training session this morning. He didn’t give her a reason and she didn’t ask or complain. After that last training session he asked her about her family and was surprised that she answered easily and without hatred towards him, only when he brought up her old faction her voice sounded bitter. When she turned around to him again before she left and thanked him for the training, he was surprised about the fact that his heart skipped a beat and he felt a smile creep onto his face.

“It was my pleasure.” The reply comes easily from his lips and he is relieved that he never had a problem with talking to women. His voice sounded confident and even, much in contrast to her slightly quavering voice. He was sure she meant it and he knew that he helped her more than willingly.

When he asked her again, after he and Four sent the initiates off to meet their families, he only received a harsh reply. Of course she was fine. Maybe that was one question too much, according to the annoyed undertone of her voice. He saw how she quickly looked down and left the room. He didn’t say anything else and let her go. He noticed the insecurity in her facial expression and the almost non-existing shaking of her hands. She was nervous, but she obviously didn’t want to show it. He understood that and only followed her a few minutes later.

 

The fight she had with her parents wasn’t hard to overhear. He had just joined Ace and her parents, who came to visit her again from Candor. He met them a few times before and was waved over to them by his friend. He watched her closely - she was only standing a couple of feet away from them. His eyes followed her when she stamped away and he knew in that moment, that he felt sorry for her. She was a strong person, but he was sure that that fight got to her. When he turned back around to Ace and her family, he caught Ace looking at him.

“What?” He snapped at her.

“Go!” She nodded in the direction that Cas had stormed off to.

He frowned at her. “What?”

“If I seriously need to explain that to you, you really don’t deserve her. Go, I said!” She pushed him forward. On his way out, he passed Miles and Chelsea talking to Skylar, Chelsea’s younger sister, and after they saw him following her – just disappearing behind a corner – receiving thumbs up from his two friends. Great, he thought. Sometimes he was wondering how good they actually knew him. Four eyed him suspiciously when he passed him, but he decided to ignore him. It took him a while to find her. He didn’t see where she was headed and when she found her, she was on the floor and in the middle of a fight with Mia. She truly belonged to Dauntless.

Oh, he hated the Erudite girl. Always arrogant, and with her shoulder long blonde hair she reminded him an awfully lot of Jeanine. Eric knew, whether he wanted or not, he’d be spending a lot of time with her once she’s a member of Dauntless. It’s almost like she was taking over this year’s role of that Peter from last year. He shook his head slightly and turned his attention back to the fight and quickly pulled Mia off _her_. Neither of them was amused to see him there and especially she seemed furious at him when he pulled her with him to his office and let Mia go like that. He’d have a word with Max about the Erudite girl later.

He had no idea how to start a conversation with her. It was clear that she’d realize that him bringing her to his office was only a lame excuse. Who was he that he’d punish her for getting into a fight with Mia? He then suddenly wished, he had read more books about communication studies when he was still a dependent in Erudite. He managed, in the end, to have sort of a conversation with her in which he not only found out that she had an aptitude for Candor, but also that she did not hate him – or at least not as much as she hated her parents. She stayed in his office while he worked. They didn’t talk a lot, but when he had to leave he offered her to stay there to hide from her friends and their families. He knew it must not be easy for her today.

 

The meeting with Max, Four and Lauren took longer than he thought and it was long past the usual lunch time that he could make his way back to his office. She was ranked fifth within the transfers and ranked at a good tenth place within all the initiates. He knew she did work hard and even though he already knew, that there was no way that she’d failed stage one with his help, he was relieved not to see her at the bottom of the rankings. When he opened the door to his office he was a little surprise to still see her there, even more so, that she was sitting in his chair, legs up on his desk and fast asleep.

He takes another few moments to look at her sleeping figure, before he clears his throat to wake her up. The faint look of surprise quickly vanishes from her face and is replaced with a frown in his direction.

“What?” She asks, her voice still heavy from sleep. “How long have you been standing there?”

He suppresses a smirk. “Only a few moments.” He answers, although he’s sure it’s been some minutes that he has been lost in thought. His gaze lingers on her and how she still has her legs lying on his desk. She quickly stands up and mutters a quiet apology, without looking away from him. It’s all fairly amusing to him and he is quick to reply.

“I see you made yourself comfortable in my absence.” He dared to grin at her.

Her reply is sarcastic, challenging. “Well, what did you expect?”

“I didn’t expect you to still be here.” He answers honestly.

Eric is fast to react when she mutters, “I’ll leave you alone now, then,” and grabs her hand when she tries to get past him and through the door to leave his office. He does not want her to leave, not when there was a chance to have a conversation with her that for once wasn’t purely snapping hatefully at each other. Besides, he wanted to know why she stayed here, when she easily could have just hidden somewhere else. Yet, he doesn’t get a reply from her, when he asks her about it and he tries again.

“You got Candor as a test result – shouldn’t you tell me the truth then?” He looks at her challenging and with a slight grin. He is still holding her hand and they are standing rather close to each other. He knew it’s a weak try, and her response proves as much.

“First of all, despite my test result, I am not Candor anymore. I left that behind and chose Dauntless. And secondly, Eric,” She pauses for a moment and he lingers on the moment she said his name. Many times before she had referred to him as ‘instructor’ where he had referred to her as ‘initiate’. He likes that little game of them, but just as much as she hated to be called Cassandra, he likes to hear his name from her lips. “I’m not lying to you, I’m just not telling you. There’s a difference.” She states as a matter of fact, and he has a hard time suppressing his smile that is about to form on his lips.

“I see,” he says eventually and tilts his head slightly forward. He whispers, “Will you tell me someday though?” He asks teasingly. Almost immediately he can see what effect that simply question has on her. A faint blush forms on her face and he sees how her eyes look at his lips for a moment, before she makes eye contact with him again.

“I … Maybe I will.” She softly whispers. They are still holding hands and he feels the soft skin against his own. Her eye make-up is still smudged slightly, from crying earlier and sleeping. There’s a spark in her eyes, she isn’t shy. She’s strong and confident and he knows that she will fit in well in Dauntless. She will pass the second and third stage with flying colours, defying her fears with everything she can do. He knows she is strong in so many ways and that she will never hold back. He likes her, he really does – even though he promised himself years ago that he will never show anyone in his new faction a soft side. But when she licks her lips and he feels like he is going crazy, he can hear nothing but his own heartbeat and almost without him doing it consciously, his head moves forward, wanting to feel her lips against his, softly, gently, because this time he know he means it and he knows she’ll mean it too.

 

His head whips around, when the door is slammed open without any warning and Ace is standing in the doorway, grinning at them. Eric noticed that in the motion he had let go of her hand and that she took a step back from him.

He wants nothing more than to scream, when his old friend dares to raise an eyebrow at them and smugly asking, “Did I interrupt something?”

“Yes!” He replies sharply and furiously. He hears Cas answering with an equally determined and sharp “No!” and they stare at each other for a few moments. Her cheeks were flushed from anger and embarrassment, probably, and her lips pressed together tightly.

“I can come back later.” Ace then suggests and he sends her a look that would have any other person running away without thinking about it for another second.

He doesn’t even have a chance to reply, when Cas jumps in. “No, no worries. I was about to leave anyways.” She looks at him with … confusion? Disappointment? Embarrassment? “See you later then, I guess.” He is about to answer, but she already pushes past him and Ace and is gone. The door closes and he is sure he can feel something shatter inside him.

 

“C’mon Ace, bad timing!” He shouts at his friend as soon as the door is shut. “Why the fuck are you even here? I finally managed to, no ALMOST, managed to kiss her properly! Do you have any faint idea how long it took to get her actually like me and not just snap at me the whole time?” He is furiously pacing back and forth in front of his friend. He swears without holding back and Ace at least has enough sense to not interrupt him as he goes on like that for another minute. When he does look to her face, he sees a grin forming on her lips. “What?!” He asks impatiently. He hates people laughing at him, even if it was his friends.

“You’ve fallen for her!” Ace laughs. “I knew you must like her – but I never thought you’d fall so hard for Cas!” She shakes her head, still giggling. “I am honestly so sorry that interrupted you guys. I honestly am!”

“Well, it’s too late for that now, isn’t it?” He grunted at her, deciding that that is the only part he would answer. Only silently, he added, that yes, he had fallen for her.

“If I had known, I would have never come by now, believe me. That poor girl, I hope she’s alright…”

“She better be. It’s gonna be awkward enough now.” Eric mutters. “What did you want from me anyways?”

Ace opens her mouth but closes it again. She’s quiet for a moment, then grins. “You know what, I quite forgot.” She shrugs and looks at him innocently.

“I cannot believe you!” He is about to continue, but Ace already opens the door and grins at him one last time, before she finally disappears.

“Fuck!” He shouts into the empty room and looks for something to throw, but fails. He slums down in his chair, but immediately stands up - so quickly that the chair rolls back and slams against the wall. With a few longs steps he is out of his office and makes his way to the training room. He needs to punch something.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please consider leaving a review either here or on my tumblr (teaboyofficeboy.com - I'll also post regular updates on my writing there!). After all, feedback is what keeps us writers going, right? ;)
> 
> I'd also like to here your opinion on this question: Would you like to read more oneshots from the perspective of other characters than Cas (not just Eric, but especially him)?


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